Is busyness an illness?

The diary is full.  The inbox overflowing.  I cannot possibly get it done by then.  I am too busy! 
Does all this sound familiar?

The catchphrase of the day is “work/life balance”.  Everyone talks about it.  Everyone wants a bit of it.  However, for the majority of working Australians it is nothing but a mirage.

We have created a pace to our lives that makes it impossible to apply a gentle brake.  We must appear to be busy because that adds to the appearance of success.  If my phone does not ring incessantly then I am not important.  If my inbox is not quietly beeping away then I am not in demand.  I must be seen to be busy or the boss might give me extra work.

The Relationships Forum Australia report, “An Unexpected Tragedy” shows that one third of the workforce work more than fifty hours per week.  More people are working a significant number of hours on the weekend.  And more families have both parents working.  Australia is now ranked amongst the hardest working, high income nations in the world.

Our addiction to busyness is insidious.  It crept up on us after the recession of the nineties.  At that time, people in work were grateful for employment and many would perform extra duties or unpaid overtime.

Unfortunately, the situation cannot be negotiated “back”.  The expectation has now changed about what constitutes daily hours for full time workers.  The eight hour day is a pipe dream for many.

This stretching of the working day is not healthy.  Families, in particular, face increased stress and anxiety in trying to juggle their work commitments with the care of young children.  And it is not just women who bear the brunt.  Fathers too are stressed with the impact of work on their family time.  There is a strong link between the pressure of working longer and more irregular hours and family breakdown.

So what is the solution?  How do we change gear and slow down?  How do we restore our health and break the addiction?

We need radical policy development and a change in business culture.   Paid maternity leave is a concept that business must seriously consider for the long term health of the workforce.  Paid maternity leave allows women to maintain a link with their employment and career. 

Employers of choice recognise the financial benefits to their business of incorporating paid maternity leave as part of their workplace policies.  It takes the pressure off women at the most physically and financially tumultuous time of their lives.  When Westpac introduced six weeks paid maternity leave, they lifted their return to work rate by 30% in five years and saved the company $6 million.  The policy also had the benefit of improving morale and productivity and retaining corporate knowledge.

We need to restore our health.  We must take control and slow the pace of our lives.  Young singles may choose to work above average hours while they are childless.  Families must be able to choose working arrangements that balance their parenting and financial commitments.   By achieving a healthy balance over our entire working lives, we may then choose to continue productive and rewarding participation in the workforce beyond sixty five.  We need to find balance, not burn out.